The fundamental category of a stratified space (Q847604)

The covering spaces of a locally nice space \(X\) are classified by the fundamental groupoid \(\Pi_1X\). For a stratified topological space \(X\), \textit{D. Treumann} based on the unpublished idea of MacPherson defined an exit 1-category in ``Exit paths and constructible stacks'' [Compos. Math. 145, No.~6, 1504--1532 (2009; Zbl 1185.32022)]. This category, which is a kind of fundamental category in terms of this paper, enables a classification of the constructible sheaves rather than covering spaces. This paper develops these ideas by defining a fundamental category for a preordered space. For the stratified spaces this reduces to Treumann's exit 1-category. A pre-ordered or po-space is a pair \((X,\leq)\) consisting of a topological space \(X\) and a reflexive and transitive relation \(\leq\) on \(X\). A map \(f: X\rightarrow Y\) of pro-spaces is a continuous and increasing map. The pro-paths are those paths which are order preserving maps, where \([0,1]\) is equipped with the standard order \(\leq\). The fundamental category denoted by \(\Pi_1^{po}X\) of a pro-space \(X\) is defined as analogue of the fundamental groupoid such that morphisms are the homotopy classes of po-paths. In the structure of the paper in Section 2, the fundamental category \(\Pi_1X\) of a pro-space \(X\) is defined. In Section 3, the fundamental categories of the homotopically nice class of filtered spaces and computing of them are discussed. In Section 4, by the fundamental categories of homotopically stratified spaces, some classifications are given. In Section 5 the fundamental category of the symmetric product \(SP^n\mathbb{C}=\mathbb{C}^n/S_n\) is computed.